Use of mirrors
 

A new member just announced getting his new car and also mentioned how he didn't like the blind spot on the drivers side of the car. That prompted me to do a little write up about what is perhaps the biggest mistake made by automobile drivers.

If, when you're driving, you can see the car behind you in all three of your mirrors, you owe it to yourself to continue reading this even though it will seem a little lengthy.

Your mirrors should be set up in such a manner that you are looking at a panoramic view, not three views of almost the same thing. As suggested above, if you see that car behind you in all three mirrors you're not benefiting from your side view mirrors.

It will take some time to get this right but if the car that has been behind you starts to pass you on the left side of your car, your left side mirror should be out far enough that he starts to come into view in your left side mirror before he is totally out of view in your rear mirror. Likewise he should be in your peripheral view before he goes out of view in your left mirror. At the very least it would require a small head check to your left.

The same applies to cars that are passing you on the right side. Get that mirror out there so that he only comes into view in the right side mirror just as he's going out of view in the rear mirror. Again, you should be able to easily see him without any mirrors when he leaves the view of your right side mirror.

It will take some getting used to and it will also take some fine tune adjustments to get things right. However, if you get on a multiple lane road where you can position yourself so that cars pass you on both sides it's not difficult to make the adjustments properly.

With a little practice you'll discover you don't need to add those stick on, convex dot-mirrors.

This has been mentioned in a few places as well as a link with a car and driver explanation.

Thanks for putting this in its own topic though, I'm sure it'll do some good (not using thread nazi sarcasm:thumbup:) . Perhaps add the car and driver link at some point as it has a few diagrams.

http://media.caranddriver.com/images...s-original.jpg

FYI

Figures 1, 3, and 4 are how your mirrors should be adjusted.

I've been using this ever since I read that car and driver article. All my friends think I'm crazy for doing it this way but it makes life so much easier on the highway since I don't even have to turn my head.

Thank you OP - Most drivers out there dont know this!

Where I'm from there's no such things as 4 lanes roads so everybody has their mirror set to see their own car - who needs to see the car going away in the other lanes or the sidewalk?

It makes total sense to set them up in a city environment however. I've been driving like that for a few years, no more looking over the shoulder.

that's very useful thanks, and to think for all these years i've been setting my side mirrors so that they always show the side of my car...

if your driving fast enough, you dont need mirrors....

i kid..i kid.

See, this is probably one of my biggest concerns for when I get my FR-S. My current car is very easy to see out of, being a sedan, all four windows offer a very clear view of the road, so I rarely check my mirrors to look at my blindspots, instead I prefer to turn and look, and I always see everything that way. I've never been very good at using the mirrors for anything, sad to say. I'm not sure why, but it might be the flipped orientation. I prefer seeing things from my point of view, instead of reversed in a mirror.

That being said, it looks like the FR-S is going to force me to use this tactic if I want to be a safe driver. Guess the first thing I'll do when I sit in it is change the mirror positions.

OP-

Thank you for bringing this up. For some of the less experienced drivers or those who weren't aware of this, you definitely will be safer if you set your mirrors right.

Here is my method, tried and true:

Just make sure your left and right mirrors are set wide enough that you can't quite see the side of your car in that mirror. I have found most people see all the way down the side of their car, which is useless. If you widen the view to *just* past seeing the side of your vehicle you will have an optimal panoramic view and absolutely minimize any blind spots.

This car is no harder to see out of than any other car I've owned, in fact its much easier.

Was everyone else driving a top down miata before!?

I still use the old method where your car is just barely visible in the mirror.

I tend to pay so much attention when I am driving I can tell you whatever car's are around me. I will know a car is in my blind spot without having to turn my head because I already saw him a few seconds ago moving into my blind spot.

However, this does seem like it would help so will try it out when I get the 86.

Just need to move the right mirror when wanting to park on the street. Don't want to curb those rims!

I would note - as much as arranging your mirrors this way helps, I would suggest that we don't do away with the quick shoulder check.

I did a writeup of this and proper seating position in another thread:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=31

I was driving a 98 civic hatchback...pretty hard to beat as far as visibility goes:lol:

This is a great explanation of good mirror use. When I read it, my first though was, "There are people that don't set their mirrors this way?". Without trying to sound arrogant here, the first time I drove a car, I set the mirrors in the manner described; it just seemed like the most logical thing to do. I never thought about it; I just figured everyone did it that way. This explains why I could never find the blind spot people were complaining about.

See. I used to look as well, but after living in Atlanta for so long I've come to realize you really can't afford to be turning your head too much to look back or to the side. People here slam on the brakes for no reason at all, causing way too many accidents many that would include myself if I spent time trying to look behind me or around me without using the mirrors. And when the flow of traffic is 70-80, space even when available wouldn't help.

Before purchasing the FR-S I was driving a loaner honda accord sedan, and even then I had the mirrors adjusted appropriately. Compared to using them the way I originally used side mirrors the difference was night and day, I think that sedan also had a slightly wider view with the rear view mirror so that I could see out the rear side windows.

In comparison the view for the FR-S is very close to that of the sedan, when mirrors are adjusted appropriately. If you use the traditional method, however, you're practically blind.

It's very useful having the mirrors turned properly. You eventually get used to the change in point of view and it allows you to make quicker decisions than having to turn your head.

They certainly do help for those checks for motorcycles or those merging into your blind spot during lane transitions.

Thanks to the OP. Yeah, not to turn people away from the FRS/BRZ, but the blind spot over drivers' side left shoulder is irritating. Really, it's pretty damn bad. I'm not sure if it's because of my height, but it's pretty bad. :mad0259:

You should still be checking your blind spots. Is it really that hard to turn your head for a second or two?

Great minds think alike, I been doing this setup ever since I started driving and this is my first time ever reading about it.

I still use convex mirrors since they dont bother me much and I get a much better view that helps me out a lot during nighttime when idiots who forgot to turn on their headlights or motorcyclists pass me(Its really hard to see them sometimes at night).

Good advice. Pretty much all modern cars no longer have a mirror blind spot. I didn't know this until just a few days ago. I've readjusted my mirrors since then and I'm trying to retrain myself not to do a head check (or do a very small one).

I have been driving with the mirrors adjusted for the blind spot since that article came out in Car and Driver (or whatever mag). Unfortunately some cars do not allow the mirrors to be adjusted that far out (i.e. 2009 Audi TT). There were a few others, but I don't care enough to remember. This article should be pinned and the diagram should be on the front page.

Regarding side mirrors that don't adjust far enough out (or in). I can't speak for all manufacturers but my last car was an 02' Mazda Miata and when I fist got it the mirrors wouldn't go out far enough for me. What I found out was this. Get out of the car, grab hold of the mirror with both hands, fingers on the frame of the mirror and both thumbs on the glass. Now using your thumbs press the mirror in the direction you want it to go. On my Miata it would click to a different indent and if I continued pushing it would click to the next indent without taking up any of the electrical adjustment. Get back in the car and try the button to see if the problem is corrected. If not, do it again. If it's now too far in the other direction, take it back a click or two.

good tip. Been doing it for years. I also plan to get those ultra wide rearview mirrors to slap overtop the existing original rearview mirror for wider field of view. also helps with blind spots.

I dont have my frs yet, but when i test drove it, i too did not like the driver blindspot. Ive come from a car that has great visibility, so my mirrors were angled in so i see the backside of my car. So for the past 2 months, ive adjusted my mirrors this way to start getting used to. I still check my blindspot as its a habit now. Not a bad habit.